Most electrical plugs of the prior art are provided with a threaded rear section that enables a removable rear connector to be fitted to them. This connector, which constitutes an accessory for the plug, is often referred to as a cable clamp since its main function is usually to retain cables in a desired position in the immediate proximity of the connector.
Rear connectors of the prior art comprise a ring that constitutes a nut designed to be screwed onto the threaded rear section of the plug. By means of one or more arms, this ring includes a system for retaining the cables composed, for example, of two half-flanges capable of pressing against one another by means of a screw. The arms connecting the ring to the cable retaining system are shaped to hold the cables at the required angle. The cables may therefore be held in the axis of the plug or at an angle relative to this axis, for example 45.degree. or 90.degree..
Irrespective of their shape, all the rear connectors of the prior art comprise a ring constructed as a single part. Consequently, these types of connector must be threaded onto the cables before the ends of the cables are connected to the plug. Failure to do this means that the operator must disconnect all the cables from the plug and then reconnect them including the connector. In addition to the time wasted carrying out these operations, the chances of connecting cables wrongly are greatly increased.
Similarly, any maintenance operation to replace the connector or part thereof also involves disconnecting and reconnecting all the cables once replacement is complete. The drawbacks of this type of operation are the same as when an operator has forgotten install the rear connector before connecting the cables to the plug.